Untitled [reclining figure with face down] 1955 - 1967

Richard Diebenkorn made this drawing of a reclining figure with charcoal on paper. Look at the economy of line, the confidence! I feel like it came into being rapidly, a kind of immediate translation of the body into marks on the page. I can imagine Diebenkorn leaning in close, squinting to see the volumes and depths of the figure. Notice how the repeated lines around the head and shoulder create a sense of weight. There’s an intimacy here, a vulnerability in the face being turned away. It’s as though Diebenkorn is exploring not just the form, but the feeling of this pose. Diebenkorn was such a master of line; he was in constant conversation with other artists like Matisse. Each mark is like a breath, a moment of seeing and responding. I love how artists like him embrace uncertainty, allowing for endless interpretations. It reminds us that art is about feeling and inquiry, not just fixed meanings.